[4] In May 1794, Louverture left the Spanish army after they refused to free their slaves in the eastern part of Hispaniola. James sees the Haitian Revolution as a black version of the revolution in France. Former French presidents, from Jacques Chirac, to Nicolas Sarkozy, to François Hollande, have a history of punishing, skirting or downplaying Haitian demands for recompense. The 1838 revision, inaccurately labeled “Traité d’Amitié” – or “Treaty of Friendship” – reduced the outstanding amount owed to 60 million francs, but the Haitian government was once again ordered to take out crushing loans to pay the balance. I’m a specialist on colonialism and slavery, and what France did to the Haitian people after the Haitian Revolution is a particularly notorious examples of colonial theft. Copyright © 2010–2021, The Conversation US, Inc. Alfred Nemours Archive of Haitian History, University of Puerto Rico. '. Write an article and join a growing community of more than 123,000 academics and researchers from 3,941 institutions. The poverty rate in Haiti is even more dire at 59%. The revolution in France had great implications in Haiti. [2] The colony was France's most productive and richest colony, and was made to grow primarily tobacco, indigo, sugar, cotton, and cacao. Baron de Mackau, whom Charles X sent to deliver the ordinance, arrived in Haiti in July, accompanied by a squadron of 14 brigs of war carrying more than 500 cannons. This article was truly helpful in terms of understanding the backgrounds of Haiti's culture and history as a whole. In Martinique and Guadeloupe, in contrast, where more than 80% of the population is of African descent, the poverty rates are 38% and 46%, respectively. On April 17, 1825, the French king suddenly changed his mind. However, even with the obstacle of Christophe gone, Boyer repeatedly failed to successfully negotiate France’s recognition of independence. Remember that the U.S., France, Britain and Spain were all still slave nations. [4] In 1802, General Napoleon Bonaparte sent 40,000 French and Polish troops to Hispaniola. In May 2015, when French President François Hollande became only France’s second head of state to visit Haiti, he admitted that his country needed to “settle the debt.” Later, realizing he had unwittingly provided fuel for the legal claims already prepared by attorney Ira Kurzban on behalf of the Haitian people – former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide had demanded formal recompense in 2002 – Hollande clarified that he meant France’s debt was merely “moral.”. The measures include the abolition of colonial slavery, economic measures to aid the poor, and support for public education. Professor of African Diaspora Studies, University of Virginia. In 1697 France gained control of the western third of the island and named its new territory Saint-Domingue. The sum was meant to compensate the French colonists for their lost revenues from slavery. This was not diplomacy. Saint-Domingue became Franceâs wealthiest colony up until 1791 when slaves, free blacks and mulattoes launched an organized rebellion. Haiti officially declared its independence from France in 1804. A facsimile of the bank note for the 30 million francs that Haiti borrowed from a French bank. Carolyn Fick, The Making of Haiti: The Haitian Revolution from Below. The rest of the world seemed to agree that the amount was absurd. [17], Diplomatic relations between the French Republic and the Republic of Haiti, M. Degros, Création des postes diplomatiques et consulaires, Revue d’histoire diplomatique, 1986; in French, J-F. Brière, Haïti et la France, 1804-1848 : le rêve brisé, Paris, Karthala 2008; in French, Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, To Heal Haiti, Look to History, Not Nature, "La première ambassade française en Haïti", France Asked to Return Money ‘Extorted’ From Haiti, La première ambassade française en Haïti (in French), Les relations franco-haïtiennes (in French), France Diplomatie: Agreements and Treaties with Haiti (in French), France Is Seeking Support in U.N. For Tightening Sanctions on Haiti, Haiti promised €230m as Nicolas Sarkozy visits former colony, French President Hollande pledges Haiti investment, French Ministry of the Economy: Haiti (in French), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=France–Haiti_relations&oldid=1011739621, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 12 March 2021, at 15:31. France instituted slavery on the island in the 17th century, but, in the late 18th century, the enslaved population rebelled and eventually declared independence. Haiti thus emerged as the first black republic in the world, and the second nation in the western hemisphere (after the United States) to win its independence from a European power. [15] In May 2015, French President François Hollande paid an official visit to Haiti and promised US$145 million in development projects within the island nation. On January 1, 1804, Dessalines declared the nation independent and renamed it Haiti. Haiti, whose population is almost entirely descended from African slaves, won independence from France in 1804, making it the second country in the Americas, after the United States, to free itself from colonial rule. After the Nine Years' War in 1697, the Spanish Empire ceded the western portion of Hispaniola with the signing of the Treaty of Ryswick that same year. Marlene Daut does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. The issue of reparations for slavery has also resurfaced. Afterwards, the French government demonstrated once again its understanding of slavery’s relationship to economics when it took it upon itself to financially compensate the former “owners” of enslaved people. France became the first nation to recognize its independence. Just as the legacy of slavery in the United States has created a gross economic disparity between Black and white Americans, the tax on its freedom that France forced Haiti to pay – referred to as an “indemnity” at the time – severely damaged the newly independent country’s ability to prosper. [1] In 1663, French settlers founded a colony in Léogâne, on the western portion of Hispaniola. In metropolitan France 14.1% of the population lives below the poverty line. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, due largely to its history of colonization, occupation and exploitation by Spain, France and the United States. [11] On 12 February 1838, a 'Treaty of Peace and Friendship' was signed between both nations. Determined to gain at least suzerainty over the island – which would have made Haiti a protectorate of France – Louis XVIII’s successor, Charles X, rebuked the two commissioners Boyer sent to Paris in 1824 to try to negotiate an indemnity in exchange for recognition. One British journalist noted that the “enormous price” constituted a “sum which few states in Europe could bear to sacrifice.”. Jefferson refused to recognize Haitian independence, a policy to which U.S. Federalists also acquiesced. In contrast, Pétion, the ruler of the south, was willing to negotiate, hoping that the country might be able to pay France for recognition of its independence. Haiti's servile revolution was a frightful model to these powerful nations. In exchange, France recognized the Republic of Haiti and restored trade relations. The Haitian people suffered the brunt of the consequences of France’s theft. A meaningful way to honor Black History Month is by questioning Canadaâs role in a country born in struggle to make Black Lives Matter. France used the labor of slaves from Africa, as a result of the near extinction of the Taíno people.[3]. Still, the new French king sent another expedition in 1838 with 12 warships to force the Haitian president’s hand. 4 February 1794 The Convention officially abolishes in France and French territories, including Saint-Domingue. The Haitian Revolution was the only successful revolt by enslaved Black people in history, and it led to the creation of the second independent nation in the Western Hemisphere, after the United States. Recognizing the gravity of this scandal, French economist Thomas Piketty acknowledged that France should repay at least US$28 billion to Haiti in restitution. Haiti's main exports to France include: fruits and vegetables, beverage plants (cocoa and coffee), distilled alcoholic beverages (rum), ready meals, and spice plants. [15] During his visit, President Sarkozy promised Haiti €230 million Euros in aid after the island nation suffered its worst earthquake in its history. [2] In 1793, France sent as an envoy Léger-Félicité Sonthonax to maintain control and stabilize the colony from the revolution. University of Virginia provides funding as a member of The Conversation US. And while Christophe had been busy developing a national school system during his reign, under Boyer, and all subsequent presidents, such projects had to be put on hold. Moreover, researchers have found that the independence debt and the resulting drain on the Haitian treasury were directly responsible not only for the underfunding of education in 20th-century Haiti, but also lack of health care and the country’s inability to develop public infrastructure. Although the colonists claimed that the indemnity would only cover one-twelfth the value of their lost properties, including the people they claimed as their slaves, the total amount of 90 million francs was actually five times France’s annual budget. [4] In October 1793, Sonthonax emancipated the slaves in all of Haiti. The best-known history of the Haitian Revolution in English, first published in 1938. The colony of Saint-Domingue, geographically roughly the same land mass that is today Haiti, was the richest colony in the West Indies and probably the richest colony in the history of the world. Boyer levied draconian taxes in order to pay back the loans. [16], In 2017, trade between both France and Haiti totaled €69 million Euros. Soon afterwards, Napoleon's brother-in-law General Charles Leclerc asked to meet Louverture to discuss terms. I’m a specialist on colonialism and slavery, economic disparity between Black and white Americans, Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter, Lepelletier de Saint-Remy, 'Étude Et Solution Nouvelle de la Question Haïtienne. France–Haiti relations are foreign relations between France and Haiti. The insurrection movement ultimately became the only successful slave revolution in history. [12], Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between, both nations have signed several agreements and treaties, such as an agreement on commerce (1958); treaty on trade (1959); agreement on air transportation between both nations (1965); agreement on cultural, scientific and technical cooperation (1972); convention on the protection of investments (1973); cooperation on tourism (2007) and an agreement on joint research and of professional training (2015). Human trafficking, especially of children, is also prevalent. Although France recognized Haitian independence in 1825, Haitians would have to wait until 1862 for the United States to recognize Haitiâs status as a sovereign, independent nation. Forced to borrow 30 million francs from French banks to make the first two payments, it was hardly a surprise to anyone when Haiti defaulted soon thereafter. To deny that the consequences of slavery were also material is to deny French history itself. In 1814 King Louis XVIII, who had helped overthrow Napoléon earlier that year, sent three commissioners to Haiti to assess the willingness of the country’s rulers to surrender. In the wake of George Floyd’s killing, there have been calls for defunding police departments and demands for the removal of statues. For the 'crime' of shaking off the yoke of involuntary servitude in 1825, Haiti dutifully paid France reparations over the course of nearly six generations â with interest. [10] On 17 April 1825 an agreement was made between the two nations. The sixth-largest death toll in history happened in Haiti in 1963, when Hurricane Flora hit it, causing almost 8000 deaths.. 19. I spend most of my vacation in my family's town of Paillant, which is quiet and very calming, compared to the capital. In February 1793, Haitian leader Toussaint Louverture joined Spanish forces in fighting the French. He responded to the pleas of the plantation owners by reinstating slavery in the French colonies, once again plunging Haiti into war. [17] France's main exports to Haiti include: manufactured products, clothing, mechanical equipment, dairy products, and medicines. In August 1791, slaves in the northern region of Haiti staged a revolt which would be known as the Haitian Revolution. In 1801, Louverture defeated the Spanish in Santo Domingo and emancipated the slaves of the territory. Inspired in large part by the French Revolution, diverse groups in the colony of Saint-Domingue began fighting against French colonial power in 1791. Once Christophe died in October 1820, Boyer was able to reunify the two sides of the country. It is exuberant and informative; worshipful history and clear-eyed. Pétion died suddenly in 1818, but Jean-Pierre Boyer, his successor, kept up the negotiations. In 1803, Napoléon had sold Louisiana to the United States for 15 million francs. Haiti officially declared its independence from France in 1804. In 1793, France sent as an envoy Léger-Félicité Sonthonax to maintain control and stabilize the colony from the revolution. As a work of history, Jamesâs book is now badly outdated. Christophe, having made himself a king in 1811, remained obstinate in the face of France’s exposed plan to bring back slavery. He issued a decree stating France would recognize Haitian independence but only at the price of 150 million francs – or 10 times the amount the U.S. had paid for the Louisiana territory. Boyer held office until his overthrow in 1843 by a ⦠Prior to gaining its independence in 1804, Haiti was the French colony of Saint-Domingue. These discrepancies are the concrete consequence of stolen labor from generations of Africans and their descendants. [7][8][9], In 1825, French King Charles X demanded Haiti reimburse and compensate France for the loss of money and trade from Haiti's independence. With the threat of violence looming, on July 11, 1825, Boyer signed the fatal document, which stated, “The present inhabitants of the French part of St. Domingue shall pay … in five equal installments … the sum of 150,000,000 francs, destined to indemnify the former colonists.”, Newspaper articles from the period reveal that the French king knew the Haitian government was hardly capable of making these payments, as the total was more than 10 times Haiti’s annual budget. By the time of the French Revolution Haiti was producing more than half of all the coffee produced in the world and Haiti was producing 40 percent of the sugar for France and Britain and accounted for 40 percent of France's foreign trade at a time when France was the dominant economy of Europe. France threatened to invade Haiti and sent 12 war ships to the island nation. In the 1824 Franco-Haitian Agreement, France agreed to recognize Haitian independence if Haiti paid a large indemnity. And whereas the median annual income of a French family is $31,112, it’s only $450 for a Haitian family. Yet, somehow, in the 19th century, the thinking went that the former enslavers of the Haitian people needed to be compensated, rather than the other way around. France named the colony Saint-Domingue. Unwilling to compromise with those he viewed as “runaway slaves,” Louis XVIII rejected the offer. [14], In February 2010, French President Nicolas Sarkozy paid a visit to Haiti, the first by a French President. The resulting racial wealth gap is no metaphor. France renounced all attempts to re-conquer Haiti and recognized Haiti as an independent nation after Haiti agreed to pay France 150 million gold francs in indemnity to the former colonists within five years. In August 1791, slaves in the northern region of Haiti staged a revolt which would be known as the Haitian Revolution. 18. France occupied the rest of Saint Kitts, took control of Guadeloupe and Martinique in 1635, and in 1697 formally annexed Saint-Domingue (Haiti), the western third of Hispaniola, which for about half a century had been occupied by buccaneers and French settlers. President Sarkozy also announced the cancellation of €56 million Euros debt owed by Haiti to France. Contemporary assessments, furthermore, reveal that with the interest from all the loans, which were not completely paid off until 1947, Haitians ended up paying more than twice the value of the colonists’ claims. In Haiti today Ottawa is supporting a government that is reviving the specter of the infamous Papa Doc and Baby Doc Duvalier dictatorship.More than two centuries ago Africans in Saint-Domingue rose up against the most barbaric of all the slave [13], Since independence, France continued to play an important role in Haitian affairs. A series of national reforms sweep through France from September 1793 through October 1795.
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